Cursor's Media Patrol - 01/23/06

Halliburton reportedly disputes allegations "made by its own employees and documented in company e-mails," that it failed to inform troops and civilians at a U.S. base in Iraq that they were using water contaminated with raw sewage for "handwashing, laundry, bathing and making coffee."

'Sympathy for al-Qaida surges in Pakistan," particularly in the tribal border areas, where lawmakers have called for the expulsion of the U.S. ambassador from the country, and where "the military campaign is bogged down, the local political administration is powerless and the militants are stronger than ever."

Robert Parry reviews evidence suggesting that "the Reagan-Bush era began with collusion between Republican operatives and Islamic terrorists," in a "prearranged deal" for the release of hostages on Inauguration Day 1981.

Does Bush Know Jack? Fox News is alone in placing "Reception Line Photos" above an AP report that photographs of the president and Jack Abramoff together were seen by Time and the Washingtonian, which says that if asked, Abramoff would tell prosecutors Bush "knew the names of Abramoff's children and asked about them during their meetings."

As U.S. investigators follow the Abramoff money trail to Hong Kong, 'DeLay's prosecutors dig deeper into California,' subpoenaing records from a defense contractor that contributed to Texans for a Republican Majority, and is owned by Brent Wilkes, "co-conspirator No. 1" in former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham's court documents.